Kenneth Williams - In His Own Words


7.00pm - 13th March 2005 "If life is a joke, then let's make it a good one."

30 min Colour

Synopsis

I must say that I have not enjoyed a Carry On documentary as much as this for ages. Kenneth Williams' life shown and heard through his own mouth, not with some voice over prattling away over the action, but Kenny, with his performances the main stay of the show.

This programme was made for the BBC4 Kenneth Williams night that we had in 2005, using video and audio clips from all of his TV shows, interviews, stage show stills, radio performances and even film (mainly in the form of the Carry Ons). This could be an exercise in 'filling time', but the editor has used all of the great sections that contains his classic quotes and stories. Clips are taken specifically from amongst, An Audience With, Parkinson, The Russell Harty Show, Round the Horne, Hancocks Half Hour (radio and TV), Beyond Our Ken, Comic Roots, Desert Island Discs and many, many more.

One thing that did surprise me is the amount of time that he repeated his stories - we see him telling them many times over in different shows. Now that could indicate the small amount of stories that he had to draw from, but I believe it indicates the great quantity of chat shows he did, certainly later in life he found this his main stay of employment (what a waste). But one great use of this which the editor has taken advantage of, is him starting to sing a Rambling Sid song one one show, then swap to another after a verse, then another, then another, a great use of the footage.